Draft Decision for the Politbureau of the C.C., R.C.P.(B.) (January, not before 17, 1920)

Written:Written in January, not before 17, 1920Published:First published in 1959 inLenin Miscellany XXXVI.

      Printed from the manuscript.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      2nd English Edition,

      Progress Publishers,1971,

      Moscow,Volume 42,

      page158b.Translated:Bernard IsaacsTranscription\Markup:D. WaltersPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive

      (2003).You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

ThePeople’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs is to adopt a
policy of extreme restraint and mistrust towards the Azerbaijan Government
in view of the latter’s refusal to accept our offer of joint military
operations against Denikin and the services it is rendering to the military
forces of Britain operating against us in the Caspian Sea, While
emphatically stressing our undeviating recognition of the right of the
working masses of every nation to self-determination, the Commissariat for
Foreign Affairs should vigorously protest against such conduct on the part
of the Azerbaijan

Government.[1]

[1]OnJanuary 2, 1920, the Soviet Government proposed to the Mussavatist
Government of Azerbaijan an agreement for joint action against
Denikin. This offer was turned down. Following a report by the People’s
Commissar for Foreign Affairs G. V. Chicherin on the possibility of peace
negotiations with Azerbaijan made at a meeting of the Politbureau on
January 17 and 18, 1920, the latter adopted Lenin’s motion on this
question.